Most Common Types of Medical Malpractice

When doctors make errors and create havoc for your personal circumstances, this can be a case of medical malpractice. This is because healthcare practitioners are expected to provide the utmost professional medical care for their patients. When they fail to deliver appropriate medical treatment, this can be a sign of neglect. In this case, you can seek help from a medical malpractice attorney to help you overcome all the damages you experienced by receiving compensation for your damages. According to Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff, LLP, here are some of the most common types of medical malpractice that you might experience:  

Failure To Treat Illness

After your doctor has become aware that you are diagnosed with a specific disease, it is their job to follow through with appropriate methods in which to treat your illness. They might neglect to consider your medical history when recommending or prescribing medication for you. The doctor may also fail to order the correct medical tests necessary to make sure the diagnosis is correct. Additionally, they might not provide instructions for follow-up care.

Surgical Errors

Doctors sometimes make performance errors when performing surgery, putting your life in danger. This can include operating on the wrong area of the body, performing the wrong surgical operation altogether, or making errors that resulted in unnecessary harm during the procedure. The doctor may have also accidentally left surgical instruments or tools inside your body, requiring you to seek surgery again to remove it.

Childbirth Injuries

When mothers undergo childbirth at a hospital, they may experience childbirth injuries due to no fault of their own. For example, they may have received the incorrect dosage of anesthesia or other medications. Another example is when the child is injured because of the tools used in childbirth, such as the suction or tongs, which are used to facilitate and ease childbirth. Other examples include when a C-section isn’t performed when necessary, the lack of recognition of fetal distress symptoms when the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby, and when the baby is mishandled or dropped after birth.

Misdiagnosis

Doctors may altogether misdiagnose you and state that you have the wrong disease. This can be devastating, especially if you are encouraged to undergo surgery or treatment for an ailment you never had. Misdiagnosis can happen when the physician fails to recognize the clinical symptoms associated with a particular disease. It is also their job to order medical tests to ensure that the diagnosis is accurate. If the doctor cannot perform these tasks, it is also required for them to refer you to a specialist.

Prescription Drug Errors

Another issue that occurs is when doctors prescribe medication that is incorrect. They may accidentally prescribe the wrong medication altogether. Other instances occur when the wrong dosage of medication is provided to the patients. In some cases, the wrong person who is unqualified to perform the diagnosis, such as a nurse or aid, recommends prescription medicine when the doctor is unavailable.

These are just a few examples of the many forms of medical malpractice that could occur. If you believe that you experienced some form of medical malpractice due to the neglect of your doctor, don’t delay speaking with an attorney to review your case. Medical malpractice shouldn’t be ignored and must be treated seriously, allowing you to obtain compensation for your damages and other losses.  

Why Work With Medical Malpractice Attorneys?

Not all cases are the same, which is why you should speak with a medical malpractice attorney to find out how your case should be treated. If you believe you experienced a form of medical malpractice, but it doesn’t fall into one of the above categories, you can still receive help because every case is unique. Learn more about how an attorney can help you through this difficult time by speaking to one today.